Justice for Janitors Day
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What: Rally with speakers, music
When: Friday, June 13 at 2 p.m.
Where: Westlake Park
Why: Justice for Janitors Day
Friday, June 13, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 6 janitors and members of the faith, student, and labor communities will celebrate the 17th annual "Justice for Janitors Day." They will rally at Westlake Park at 2 p.m. The program will include speakers, music, and radical cheerleading. This year's Justice for Janitors Day is important due to the expiration June 30th of the contract that covers janitors working in King County.
The base pay for janitors in King County is $10.05 an hour. With the average rent in King County at $1,001* and even higher on the Eastside, janitors are struggling to make decisions between paying the rent, putting food on the table for their families, or buying gas just to get to work.
Paula Hance, a janitor and SEIU 6 member said, "Rent eats up most of my pay. Electricity costs have risen so much that I can't afford to turn on the heat in the winter so my house is always cold."
Janitor and SEIU 6 member Farah Kurdija said, "I would not be able to afford the regular monthly prescriptions I need without my medical insurance. I go to therapy monthly for my strained elbow and carpal tunnel, which comes from years of wear on my body from waxing and mopping on the job. It would be impossible to pay for all of this without my union medical coverage."
Talks are underway in Seattle for a new contract and are paralleled by janitor negotiations at other SEIU locals up and down the coast. Silicon Valley and Oakland janitors in SEIU Local 1877 struck for 9 days before settling for a 22% raise. San Diego janitors avoided a strike by winning raises of $1 to $1.20 and improvements to health care.
"I believe health care is a right. And I think that when janitors win, we all win. Health care is very important, and that's what janitors are fighting for. It's a campaign worthy of all of our time," said King County Executive Ron Sims.
*Seattle PI, September 27, 2007 "Apartments are getting harder to find"
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Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 6 is the Seattle area's janitors' union, working to improve industry standards. SEIU is North America's largest and fastest growing union with over 2 million members.
When: Friday, June 13 at 2 p.m.
Where: Westlake Park
Why: Justice for Janitors Day
Friday, June 13, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 6 janitors and members of the faith, student, and labor communities will celebrate the 17th annual "Justice for Janitors Day." They will rally at Westlake Park at 2 p.m. The program will include speakers, music, and radical cheerleading. This year's Justice for Janitors Day is important due to the expiration June 30th of the contract that covers janitors working in King County.
The base pay for janitors in King County is $10.05 an hour. With the average rent in King County at $1,001* and even higher on the Eastside, janitors are struggling to make decisions between paying the rent, putting food on the table for their families, or buying gas just to get to work.
Paula Hance, a janitor and SEIU 6 member said, "Rent eats up most of my pay. Electricity costs have risen so much that I can't afford to turn on the heat in the winter so my house is always cold."
Janitor and SEIU 6 member Farah Kurdija said, "I would not be able to afford the regular monthly prescriptions I need without my medical insurance. I go to therapy monthly for my strained elbow and carpal tunnel, which comes from years of wear on my body from waxing and mopping on the job. It would be impossible to pay for all of this without my union medical coverage."
Talks are underway in Seattle for a new contract and are paralleled by janitor negotiations at other SEIU locals up and down the coast. Silicon Valley and Oakland janitors in SEIU Local 1877 struck for 9 days before settling for a 22% raise. San Diego janitors avoided a strike by winning raises of $1 to $1.20 and improvements to health care.
"I believe health care is a right. And I think that when janitors win, we all win. Health care is very important, and that's what janitors are fighting for. It's a campaign worthy of all of our time," said King County Executive Ron Sims.
*Seattle PI, September 27, 2007 "Apartments are getting harder to find"
# # #
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 6 is the Seattle area's janitors' union, working to improve industry standards. SEIU is North America's largest and fastest growing union with over 2 million members.
